Glossary of IT Terms
Blog
A Web log, which is a journal or newsletter that is updated frequently and published online.
CSP (Cloud Service Provider)
A business model for providing cloud services.
Database
A collection of organized data that allows access, retrieval, and use of data
host
A computer accessed by a user working at a remote location.
Data server
A computer or program that provides other computers with access to shared files over a network.
Bit
A contraction of "Binary Digit". A bit is the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as a 0 or 1.
hard disk
A data storage unit inside a computer that can store a large quantity of data (60GB or more)
file
A document that is stored on your computer.
Data Center
A facility used to house management information systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems
Attachment
A file that is sent along with an e-mail message.
Vulnerability
A flaw or weakness that can be used to attack a system or organization.
GIF
A format for a file that contains a graphic or a picture
Byte
A group of eight bits.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
A language used for creating web pages.
Hyperlink
A link from a hypertext file or document to another location or file, typically activated by clicking on a highlighted word or image on the screen
folder
A location on disk where you can store files.
Authentication
A method for confirming users' identities.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
A method of exchanging files between computers via the Internet.
Firewall
A method of preventing unauthorized access to or from a particular network; firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or both.
IP address
A number that uniquely identifies each computer or device connected to the Internet.
Chargeback
A payment card transaction where the supplier initially receives payment but the transaction is later rejected by the cardholder or the card issuing company. The supplier's account is then debited with the disputed amount.
Client
A program or computer that connects to and requests information from a server.
Browser
A program that accesses and displays files and other data available on the Internet and other networks.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
A protocol that lets a server on a local network assign temporary IP addresses to a computer or other network devices.
Cache
A region of computer memory where frequently accessed data can be stored for rapid access
Password
A secret series of characters used to authenticate a person's identity.
Supply chain
A set of organisations with linked resources and processes involved in the production of a product.
Frames
A simple container for a single network packet.
Flash Drive
A small device that plugs into computer's USB port and functions as a portable hard drive.
icon
A small picture or symbol that represents some object or function.
Cookie
A small piece of information you may be asked to accept when connecting to certain servers via a web browser. It is used throughout your session as a means of identifying you.
portable device
A small, easily transportable computing device such as a smartphone, laptop or tablet computer.
GPS
A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.
Cyberspace
A term describing the world of computers and the society that uses them.
Backbone
A term that is often used to describe the main network connections that comprise the Internet or other major network.
Screen scraper
A virus or physical device that logs information sent to a visual display to capture private or personal information.
Keyboard logger
A virus or physical device that logs keystrokes to secretly capture private information such as passwords or credit card details.
Security perimeter
A well-defined boundary within which security controls are enforced.
Bluetooth
Allows electronic devices like cell phones and computers to exchange data over short distances using radio waves.
anti-spam
An alternative to e-mail filtering is to purchase which of the following kinds of program that attempts to remove a message before it reaches a user's inbox.
Tablet
An ultra-portable, touch screen computer that shares much of the functionality and operating system of smartphones, but generally has greater computing power.
Ethernet
Communications architecture for wired local area networks based uponIEEE 802.3 standards.
Wide area network (WAN)
Communications network linking computers or local area networks across different locations.
Local area network (LAN)
Communications network linking multiple computers within a defined location such as an office building.
Internet service provider (ISP)
Company that provides access to the internet and related services.
Access Control
Controlling who has access to a computer or online service and the information it stores.
Certification
Declaration that specified requirements have been met.
Cloud Computing
Delivery of storage or computing services from remote servers online (ie via the internet).
Router
Device that directs messages within or between networks.
Broadband
High-speed data transmission system where the communications circuit is shared between multiple users.
Virtual private network (VPN)
Link(s) between computers or local area networks across different locations using a wide area network that cannot access or be accessed by other users of the wide area network.
home page
Main page of a web site; usually the first page.
Virus
Malware that is loaded onto a computer and then run without the user's knowledge or knowledge of its full effects.
Spyware
Malware that passes information about a computer user's activities to an external party.
Worm
Malware that replicates itself so it can spread to infiltrate other computers.
Phishing
Method used by criminals to try to obtain financial or other confidential information (including user names and passwords) from internet users, usually by sending an email that looks as though it has been sent by a legitimate organization (often a bank). The email usually contains a link to a fake website that looks authentic.
Two-factor authentication
Obtaining evidence of identity by two independent means, such as knowing a password and successfully completing a smartcard transaction.
Outsourcing
Obtaining services by using someone else's resources.
Buffer
On a multitasking system, a certain amount of RAM that is allocated as a temporary holding area so that the CPU can manipulate data before transferring it to a particular device.
Personal information
Personal data relating to an identifiable living individual.
Business continuity management
Preparing for and maintaining continued business operations following disruption or crisis.
Security information and event management (SIEM)
Process in which network information is aggregated, sorted and correlated to detect suspicious activities.
Encryption
Process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access.
Intrusion detection system (IDS)
Program or device used to detect that an attacker is or has attempted unauthorised access to computer resources.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Provision of computing infrastructure (such as server or storage capacity) as a remotely provided service accessed online (ie via the internet).
Chat
Real-time typed conversation that takes place on a computer.
client/server technology
Refers to a connection between networked computers in which the services of one computer (the server) are requested by the other (the client). Information obtained is then processed locally on the client computer.
DMZ
Segment of a network where servers accessed by less trusted users are isolated. The name is derived from the term "demilitarised zone".
Proxy server
Server that acts as an intermediary between users and others servers, validating user requests.
Application Software
Software that performs some useful task such as word processing or playing a game for a user.
Hacker
Someone who violates computer security for malicious reasons, kudos or personal gain.
Asset
Something of value to a person, business or organization.
Risk
Something that could cause an organization not to meet one of its objectives.
Threat
Something that could cause harm to a system or organization.
Security control
Something that modifies or reduces one or more security risks.
DNS (Domain Name System)
The Internet's system for converting alphabetic names into numeric IP addresses.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given amount of time.
Bring your own device (BYOD)
The authorised use of personally owned mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets in the workplace.
Access Point
The computer or network device that serves an as interface between devices and the network.
Software-as-a-service (SaaS)
The delivery of software applications remotely by a provider over the internet; perhaps through a web interface.
Cursor
The on-screen blinking character that shows where the next character will appear
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The part of a computer that oversees all operations and calculations.
Disaster Recovery
The policies and procedures that a company or organisation has in place so it can carry on with normal business after a disaster, such as a major ICT failure, a fire etc
Risk assessment
The process of identifying, analysing and evaluating risk.
Compression
The process of making a file smaller so that it will save disk space and transfer faster over a network.
Identification
The process of recognising a particular user of a computer or online service.
Decompression
The process of restoring the file to its original size and format.
Download
The process of transferring one or more files from a remote computer to your local computer.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
The provision of remote infrastructure allowing the development and deployment of new software applications over the internet.
User account
The record of a user kept by a computer to control their access to files and programs.
Restore
The recovery of data following computer failure or loss.
Username
The short name, usually meaningful in some way, associated with a particular computer user.
backup
To make a copy of data stored on a computer or server to lessen the potential impact of failure or loss.
Wi-Fi
Wireless local area network that uses radio signals to transmit data
an electronic message used by individuals to communicate with one another
eLearning
educational institutions with an online presence
Malware
software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems.
Hardware
the physical parts of a computer
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
the protocol used for transmitting web pages over the Internet
Connect
to join together